Daily Lesson for September 15, 2020

 Today's Daily Lesson comes from Ezra chapter 3 verses

8 In the second year after their arrival at the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak made a beginning, together with the rest of their people, the priests and the Levites and all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity. They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work on the house of the Lord.

10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments were stationed to praise the Lord with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, according to the directions of King David of Israel; 11 and they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

“For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”

And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and heads of families, old people who had seen the first house on its foundations, wept with a loud voice when they saw this house, though many shouted aloud for joy, 13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted so loudly that the sound was heard far away.

The Israelites return from their exile to rebuild in Jerusalem. They lay a new foundation, and "make a beginning". They are starting over all over again.

The old people who knew the Temple in its former glory sigh and grieve. It is not the same. The new Temple is a shadow of the original.

But the people are doing what they can for now. So, the new foundation is laid -- for the Temple, for their families, and for the nation.

Starting all over can be tough. It may mean crashing on somebody's couch, or living in the loft above somebody's barn. It may mean having to take the bus, or going to the community college, or having to make coffee drinks for the folks you used to want to be.

But, as my grandfather would say, "God has fixed your Wanter". And what you want most now is no longer the glory of being big, or famous, or rich, but simply to be faithful and at peace.

NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible this year. Tomorrow we leave Ezra for a bit and read Haggai.